Balloon advertising method and apparatus



Aug. 31, 1926.

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atto'cnuta Patented uAug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES ESTACE J'. MAGU'IRE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BALLOON ADVERTISING METHOD AND APPARATUS.

Application led August 14, 1924. Serial No. 732,075.

This invention relates to advertising in general but in particular to a method and means of distributing advertising circulars or other matter from aloft by means of balloons either captive or free.

The object of my invention is to provide a method by which advertising circulars, novelties, or confetti can be sent aloft in the air, preferably over the heads of a multitude such as might congregate at any public or social gathering, and then at some opportune or predetermined time scatter the circulars or confetti over. the people.

To carry out the invention, I employ a balloon to elevate the advert-ising matter or confetti and any one of several means of scattering the material.

In the drawings hereto attached several arrangements are shown for scattering the material in the required manner, Figure 1 representing a small captive gas balloon containing within it the confetti or other matter to be scattered and with an inverted balloon splitting device actuated by a jerk of the cord from the balloon, Figure 2 an enlarged detail of the inverted device, Figure 3 a similar arrangement tothat shown in Figure 1 but with a separate pull string to operate the device, Figure 4 a captive balloon suspending an over-balanced cup of confettik dumped upon sudden release of the balloon cord, and Figure 5 a free balloon with a fuse arranged to explode it to scatter the contents at a predetermined time depending on the length of the fuse used.

In Figures 1 and 2, the balloon 1 is a gas filled one preferably of thin rubber similar to any of the toy balloons as used by children, and within it as dotted at 2 is a quantity of confetti or advertising matter.

The balloon is tied or otherwise sealed at the neck 3 in the well-known manner and held captive by a stout thread or string 4 with or without a ring 5 at its lower end.

The string instead of being simply secured to the neck of the balloon is bifurcated at the upper end and secured to two pivoted wire arms 6 which are pivotally supported at the neck of the balloon in the eyelets 7 of a wire loop 8 drawn tightly about the neck of the balloon. The wire arms normally hang down as indicated in Figure 1 and each having a sharp hook point 9 formed at the end and also preferably sharpened or flattened along the side adjacent the point as indicated at lO in Figure 2 and so pivoted that upon the small ends 6 of the arms being suddenly pulled downward. by jerking the string the sharpened hooked ends of the wire arms will be thrown upward, as indicated by the dotted line in the figure to penetrate and cut a gash in the balloon on opposite sides of the stem.

This sudden piercing of the balloon will cause it to be rent asunder by the pressure of the confined gases with a result that the confetti will be violently ejected and distributed in every direction. y

It should be observed that the tearing of the balloon takes placejust below the confined confetti or other material so thatthe force of the gas acts directly to eject it from the envelope.

In Figure 3 a similar arrangement is shown but only oneV wire hook arm 6 is used and operated by pulling an auxiliary string 4 preferably looped about the retaining string 4 with a small light ring 11 to keep it from becoming entangled.

Upon giving the string 4 a smart pull the piercing hook 9 operates as described.

Figure 4 shows a modification of the idea which consists in pivotally suspending a -light cup 12 from the balloon 1 by means of a light wire yoke 13 in such a manner as to overbalance the cup, and of then securing the balloon line 4 to the bottom of the cup so that upon the ascent of the balloon a slight tension upon the line maintains the cup in a vertical position but when it is desired to discharge the contents thereof, a sudden release of the string or quick upward movement of the hand will permit the overbalanced cup to discharge its contents upon the people below.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 contemplates binding a fuse 14 to the neck of the balloon in such a manner that the upper end 14 will lie against the envelope just uncer the contained confetti or advertising matter 2 whereby the fuse when lighted will cause a rupture of the balloon at that point.

This arrangement is more' suited to outdoor attraction also for night advertising but will require the use of fireproofed advertising matter to prevent the possibility of ignition upon bursting of the balloon.

In contemplating the invention as set forth it will be manifest that many other arrangements might be devised by a skilled mechanic for scattering the matter from a captive or free balloon, and any such as come fairly Within the spirit of my invention are intended to be covered in my lappended claim.

I claim:

A captive balloon containing a. quantity of novelty matter ordistribution when the balloon is punctured, a puncturing mechanism carried by the balloon and including a movable puncturing portion normally out of 10 punctnring portion of said mechanism will 15 cause the balloon to be ruptured.

EUSTACE J MAGUIRE. 

